Talking Indonesia: 20 years after Soeharto

May 10, 2018

Two decades after the fall of Soeharto, the nature of Indonesian democracy and the trajectory of political reform remain a matter of animated debate in Indonesia and abroad. Undeniably, fundamental change has taken place since the end of Soeharto’s authoritarian New Order regime. By the same token, the continued prominence of political and business figures who rose to the prominence during the New Order is just one reminder that the long shadow of the Soeharto era has never entirely lifted. What have been the key achievements of the reform movement that toppled Soeharto, what are the key obstacles to further reform, and what lies ahead for Indonesia over the next 10 years?

Dr Dave McRae explores these issues with Usman Hamid, director of Amnesty International Indonesia and one of Indonesia’s most senior human rights activists. Among his many previous roles, Usman has served as coordinator of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), and in 2012, co-founded the Indonesian branch of online petition platform change.org